Conservative thread: We're still smiling!

[SwedishMeatball]

 

[Charade]

Trying...

 

[Goofyluver]

Trying...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

May you all have a wonderful holiday and enjoy all of those that you love and cherish.

 

[Tink & Goofy]

Just checking in.

We did make it to DL. We didn't go to DCA but that's okay.
DS LOVES Mickey Mouse. When he saw Mickey and Minnie, he reached out for them, gave them kisses, hugged them, held their hands...I nearly cried it was so sweet. Minnie gave him 5 minutes of her time, even with other people waiting. She just kept coming back to DS.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

[loco4dis]

Well, the guests are gone and I am completely exhausted. A good day was had by all, with fine food, fun games, and good company. This time of year always reminds me that I am blessed far more than I deserve, but will continue to just be grateful for the blessings and try to share them with as many people as I can. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

Charade, I'm so sorry to see that your friend's husband is still struggling. I'll continue to pray for his recovery.

And now…I and my weary bones shall veg in front of the TV for as long as the children permit.

Hey Soarin, how's the weather at WDW? How are the lines? Give is a cyber report so we can imagine we are there.

 

[Michelle67]

Hi everyone! All my company is gone, and I'm recovering just like Loco. It was a really great day. My parents and my friends made it here just fine, and we all got spoiled rotten. I guess everyone wanted to make sure we had as good a Christmas as possible with my hubby not here.

The internet connection was a little frustrating, but my husband was able to see the kids opening their presents, and hear and talk to all of us at least a little bit throughout the morning.

All in all, it was a really wonderful day, and we feel very blessed.

Merry Christmas everyone (visitors included ).

 

[JB111107]

We've had a very couch potato-ish day here. The kids woke up and peeked into their stockings, we watched the Disney parade, then did the presents, ate breakfast, then played/watched movies the rest of the day. I found this yesterday and had to get it. I had completely forgotten about it since they never air it anymore but I loved it as a kid:

We also watched "A Christmas Story", Elf, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and now that my kids are gone to their dad's, DH is playing with his new Blu-Ray Band of Brothers.

I have to work tomorrow but once again I'll have nothing to do so I'm taking the book for my EQ6 software that I got with me in the hopes of possibly learning a thing or two about how to use it.

All in all a stress-less day, and I managed to sneak in a nap so I really can't complain about anything but the mess in my kitchen....life could be worse

Hope you all had a great day as well...I'll catch up on things tomorrow while I'm at work. It will help pass the time.

 

[debbieandroo]

Just checking in.

We did make it to DL. We didn't go to DCA but that's okay.
DS LOVES Mickey Mouse. When he saw Mickey and Minnie, he reached out for them, gave them kisses, hugged them, held their hands...I nearly cried it was so sweet. Minnie gave him 5 minutes of her time, even with other people waiting. She just kept coming back to DS.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

WELCOME BACK! You were greatly missed - glad you had a good time...

Well, the guests are gone and I am completely exhausted. A good day was had by all, with fine food, fun games, and good company. This time of year always reminds me that I am blessed far more than I deserve, but will continue to just be grateful for the blessings and try to share them with as many people as I can. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

Charade, I'm so sorry to see that your friend's husband is still struggling. I'll continue to pray for his recovery.

And now…I and my weary bones shall veg in front of the TV for as long as the children permit.

Hey Soarin, how's the weather at WDW? How are the lines? Give is a cyber report so we can imagine we are there.

Glad you had a great Christmas --

Hi everyone! All my company is gone, and I'm recovering just like Loco. It was a really great day. My parents and my friends made it here just fine, and we all got spoiled rotten. I guess everyone wanted to make sure we had as good a Christmas as possible with my hubby not here.

The internet connection was a little frustrating, but my husband was able to see the kids opening their presents, and hear and talk to all of us at least a little bit throughout the morning.

All in all, it was a really wonderful day, and we feel very blessed.

Merry Christmas everyone (visitors included ).

Yay for DH sharing Christmas with the family - sometimes the internet can be a good thing...

Trying...

still praying

 

[debbieandroo]

On her site, Michelle Malkin has a couple of neat videos - the first is Christmas in Afghanistan and the second is a little girl's wish for her dad to come home for Christmas....

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/12/2...est-and-on-earth-peace-good-will-toward-men”/

 

[Michelle67]

Charade, I found your updates in the other thread. I'm so sorry there's no good news, but I'm glad to hear that at least there is no bad news. Continued prayers and positive thoughts from us.

 

[debbieandroo]

This is nothing compared to what Charade's friend is going through but here's a sad tale about my day....

I went to take a friend her present [a gift card I had put into a Christmas card]. She lives fairly close so I decided to walk over there with my dog [my avatar - a 80-100 lb 1-1/2 year old puppy]. I thought no one would be over there so I would just drop it off.

Well, her 6-year old son was outside playing and, to make a long story shorter, my dog got away from me. I had been holding on to him very tightly, the little boy was riding on his new bike and my dog snipped at him [my dog was playing - but he still outweighed her son by easily 40-60 lbs]. The little boy freaked, ran inside the house - he had to be taken to the emergency room and have 2 stitches.

My friend was so sweet about it but talk about ruining a Christmas! That poor kid and his poor parents!!!!! And, too, apparently this is standard practice - the police had to be notified so the call I got from my friend was, 'If the police call you about this.... ' [She hurriedly reassured me that they aren't prosecuting, they have pets and understand it was an accident]

UGH...is there a rewind button I could push for today? Oh, and to top it all off, after I got home, I realized that I had forgotten to put the gift card in her Christmas card ---

 

[blestmom]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a nice Christmas. We made it to Las Vegas, after a few schedule mishaps. And guess what? It's snowing in Vegas!!

 

[debbieandroo]

No significance here but this clip made me laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue3Gcp_5ESs

Newsbusters was talking about big name stars that refuse to go on talk show with other stars and the above clip was a great example of pretty high octane stars [Bob Hope, Dean Martin and George Gobel] who didn't mind being on at the same time. My favorite quote by Gobel was - 'in a world of tuxedos, I feel like a pair of brown shoes' which sums me up too.

 

[debbieandroo]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a nice Christmas. We made it to Las Vegas, after a few schedule mishaps. And guess what? It's snowing in Vegas!!

Snowing in Vegas! It's following you!

How was your day? When did you arrive? Are you exhausted?

 

[blestmom]

Snowing in Vegas! It's following you!

How was your day? When did you arrive? Are you exhausted?

I am pretty exhausted. I didn't sleep at all, so I lost a whole night of sleep. Our flights were delayed, not due to weather, but crew problems (one was late, another didn't have mandatory rest, etc.)

We went to my mom's and had pasta, and played charades.

 

[debbieandroo]

I am pretty exhausted. I didn't sleep at all, so I lost a whole night of sleep. Our flights were delayed, not due to weather, but crew problems (one was late, another didn't have mandatory rest, etc.)

We went to my mom's and had pasta, and played charades.

And on top of the cranky children from the day before, getting ready etc - all of that has made for an exhausting several days. I do hope you get a lot of rest these next few days - you'll need it for your Disney trip in ONE MONTH!

WOO-HOO!!!

 

[blestmom]

And on top of the cranky children from the day before, getting ready etc - all of that has made for an exhausting several days. I do hope you get a lot of rest these next few days - you'll need it for your Disney trip in ONE MONTH!

WOO-HOO!!!

The kids did improve. A good night sleep does sound fantastic, though.

 

[debbieandroo]

I've got some serious insomnia going on here, I guess -

Here's an interesting article [it's tough to be at the top]:

Democratic unity starts to show cracks
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 12/24/08 04:53 PM [ET]

Democrats head into 2009 with sky-high expectations but points of intra-party friction are already starting to show a month before President-elect Obama’s inauguration, forecasting bigger fights next year.

Veteran Democrats say the party has become more split along parochial interests since Democrats last controlled majorities as large as they will in the 111th Congress.

They say the growth of their majorities in Congress, which has ushered in a new cadre of lawmakers from conservative-leaning states and those with new views on old policy problems, has only made the Democratic caucuses less governable.

“Because the Democratic caucus is itself diverse, reflecting many different points of view, it will be a challenge for the leadership to keep that coalition of interests together on the priorities established,” said former Democratic Sen. Richard Bryan (Nev.). “That will be a big challenge.”

“To the extent our majorities have increased it’s a more difficult challenge,” he added. “But I’m not saying it can’t be done.”

Over the next year and beyond Democratic leaders will have to referee strong disagreements within their party over the budget, immigration, trade and energy production, not to mention an array of smaller disputes that few foresee today.

The recent flap over evangelical minister Rick Warren, whom Obama tapped to deliver his inaugural invocation to the angry dismay of gay and liberal activists, has reminded Democrats of the potential vehemence of factions within their party.

Some activists also gripe that Obama has not appointed enough prominent liberals to his cabinet and inner circle of advisers.

Centrists are already defending the president from left-wing criticism.

“I consider myself a moderate and I think Barrack Obama is going to be president of the American people and not just president of the Democratic Party,” said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). “My Democratic colleagues who might say that Obama is not doing what he should do as a Democrat, they’re dead wrong, he is doing it and he will do it.

“I don’t think this is the time that American people want radical shifts,” he added.

President Bush’s departure from office, while celebrated by many Democrats around the country, is a mixed blessing for strategists who used him to galvanize activists.

Even among leaders there are signs of some tension. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have thrown brush-back pitches at the incoming administration to make clear that Obama and his advisers should not expect Congress to do the White House’s bidding automatically.

Reid has said Vice President-elect Biden will not be allowed to attend the weekly Senate Democratic lunch except on a few occasions, a striking contrast to the open door invitation Republicans extended to Vice President Cheney over the past eight years.

Pelosi meanwhile has told White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in no uncertain terms that he should not expect the free rein to meet with House lawmakers that he once enjoyed as Democratic caucus chairman. Pelosi has told the administration that it must deal with her before trying to negotiate deals with rank-and-file members.

Reid and Pelosi’s actions reflect the determination of many Democrats in Congress not to be condescended to. And while many lawmakers are excited about Obama’s incoming administration, they are fed up with the steady erosion of power from Congress to the White House that that became a conspicuous feature of the Bush years.

“What we complain about is: ‘You don’t give up legislative power to any executive,’” said Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.). “I don’t think we should give up any legislative party just because the president is of the same party. We should stand up for our power. There are two separate branches of power. You don’t give up the power and you don’t let them take you for granted.”

It remains an open question whether Obama will relinquish the power that accrued to the presidency under Bush, who pushed the limits of his authority with signing statements, warrantless surveillance, the establishment of military tribunals and by often invoking executive privilege to shield advisors from Congress.

Cheney, during a recent media appearance, predicted that the “Obama administration is not likely to cede that authority back to the Congress.”

“I think they’ll find that given a challenge they face they’ll need all the authority they can muster,” he stated.

Obama’s advisors may also become impatient with what may seem at times like an army of Lilliputians in Congress attempting to tie strings to his ambitious change agenda.

Reid and Pelosi have forged leadership styles of consensus-building and while frequent hash sessions may lessen the chances of intra-party blowups, they are time consuming.

For example, House Democrats spent months after winning control of Congress in 2006 forging a position on how to wind down the war in Iraq. While the party’s position on the war seems established, next year’s debate over healthcare reform looms.

Senior House Democrats, such as Majority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, have warned that the House will move more slowly than the Senate on healthcare.

Obama advisor David Plouffe has said the incoming president will use his e-mail list of 13 million supporters to push his policies. Several political analysts have suggested the list could be used to wage grassroots campaigns to pressure recalcitrant members of Congress. That strategy, although potentially effective, could build resentment among lawmakers who would not appreciate White House-prompted badgering from their constituents.

Veteran Democrats say that larger majorities will not necessarily make it easier for leaders to pass legislation, noting that while Republicans are in disarray there is less motivation for the Democrats to stay unified.

“They’re always demanding, when I was in Congress we had 292 Democrats and on all the issues he had to hustle to get the votes,” said former Rep. Marty Russo (D-Ill.), who served as House Democratic floor whip in the 1980s.

He said House Democrats have become more factionalized since they last controlled a large majority.

“I think it’s more spread out than it ever was,” said Russo. “Now you have five or six caucuses, you have the Hispanic caucus, the Black caucus, the progressive caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition.”

“Before it was liberals, moderates and conservatives, it was easier,” he stated. “Pelosi has it more difficult but she’s handling it well.”

Russo and other Democrats say that Pelosi has managed to tame the caucus by ensuring that each group has a chance to participate in leadership debates.

One of Democratic leaders’ biggest challenges will be to resolve disagreements over how much money to spend at a time of soaring federal deficits and a national economic crisis. They are drafting an economic stimulus package that could reach $850 billion and some lawmakers want it to swell to a trillion dollars.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said the stimulus package should cost between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion and warned against excessive interference from the administration.

“The legislature has the responsibility to determine the amount of money in the package, not the president,” he said.

This and other spending debates will pit fiscally conservative southerners against colleagues. While members of the conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition want the costs of new legislation offset with spending cuts or tax increases, others want to jettison these budget restrictions altogether.

Democrats from manufacturing states are also gearing up for a battle against colleagues from financial centers such as New York and San Francisco over trade policy.

“Most of the leadership of Congress comes from servicing centers, finance centers or capital cities, parts of the country where the real wealth comes from have been beaten down by Wall Street,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio and an outspoken critic of many free trade agreements.

Kaptur said there is a growing number of Democrats who question the benefits of free trade agreements on the nation’s economy as a whole. She argued that these agreements have benefited finance centers such as New York and hurt manufacturing centers such as Michigan and Ohio.

Some Democrats might find themselves wishing Bush and Cheney were still on the public scene to serve as unifying bogeymen.

“It was a sad moment for Democrats when Newt Gingrich retired from the House,” said former Sen. Bryan, referring to the former Republican speaker from Georgia, who was a lightning rod for Democrats in an earlier era.

 

[wonderlanne]

Just checking in.

We did make it to DL. We didn't go to DCA but that's okay.
DS LOVES Mickey Mouse. When he saw Mickey and Minnie, he reached out for them, gave them kisses, hugged them, held their hands...I nearly cried it was so sweet. Minnie gave him 5 minutes of her time, even with other people waiting. She just kept coming back to DS.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas! what a happy day you had...so glad you were able to be in the park.

 

[wonderlanne]

This is nothing compared to what Charade's friend is going through but here's a sad tale about my day....

I went to take a friend her present [a gift card I had put into a Christmas card]. She lives fairly close so I decided to walk over there with my dog [my avatar - a 80-100 lb 1-1/2 year old puppy]. I thought no one would be over there so I would just drop it off.

Well, her 6-year old son was outside playing and, to make a long story shorter, my dog got away from me. I had been holding on to him very tightly, the little boy was riding on his new bike and my dog snipped at him [my dog was playing - but he still outweighed her son by easily 40-60 lbs]. The little boy freaked, ran inside the house - he had to be taken to the emergency room and have 2 stitches.

My friend was so sweet about it but talk about ruining a Christmas! That poor kid and his poor parents!!!!! And, too, apparently this is standard practice - the police had to be notified so the call I got from my friend was, 'If the police call you about this.... ' [She hurriedly reassured me that they aren't prosecuting, they have pets and understand it was an accident]

UGH...is there a rewind button I could push for today? Oh, and to top it all off, after I got home, I realized that I had forgotten to put the gift card in her Christmas card ---

good golly, what a fright. must have been a frightening few minutes. glad everybody is okay.